


someone to stay

by gayhems



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, au where xander is a decent father, i know its a day late BUT still, rated T bc i made a few dirty jokes, some furry SHIT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 06:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12575280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayhems/pseuds/gayhems
Summary: happy borthi wrote this right before going to school





	someone to stay

**Author's Note:**

> this is a concept ive never seen before and its my destiny to fill this tag someday
> 
> kinda rushed bc i have school in 10 minutes

“Stress is no good for you, father,” Siegbert noted, not daring let his eyes stray from the battle report he was reading through, “You ought to take a break before you burn yourself out.”

“I can’t, Siegbert, there’s just too much to do.” Xander stood from his chair, rubbing his temples with a heavy sigh.

“It’s far too late to go walking tonight. Rest and finish tomorrow morning.” It was a suggestion, made less authoritative and serious by the unmistakable tremble of anxiety in Siegbert’s voice.

“I’ll only be out for a few minutes, I promise.” Sparing a warm smile, he found his boots, pulling them on as he glanced halfheartedly at his discarded armor.

The flap of his tent fluttered in the midnight breeze, and Xander was somewhat relieved to see that Siegbert didn’t make any effort to seal it. That knowledge alone was enough to bring another smile to his face. Something about being able to see his son before he laid to rest was comforting, though he’d prefer to see _both_ of his children before he went to bed. Well, you can’t have everything you want, he supposed. Besides, Velouria was already asleep to his knowledge. 

Before long, his feet carried him down to sit near the onyx mine, long abandoned for the night and looking all the more inviting in the moonlight. Gems glittered like lonely stars against gray rock, beckoning like a cold siren. The state of his clothes was less than a concern when he settled down in the soft grass, stretching his legs out before him. It was strange to be outdoors without his armor, but oddly liberating as well; without the weight on his shoulders, he felt a little bit more comfortable. The temperature, of course, wasn’t all that comfortable, though it wasn’t necessarily all that cold either. It was, to put a word to it, manageable. Minutes drifted away and the cold cut through the thin fabric of Xander’s shirt. Then, and only then, he grew cold, wrapping his arms around himself and rubbing the tops of his arms, trying to prolong his time out in the fresh air. It was peaceful in the lonely sort of way, quiet and serene, but oh so empty. Xander didn’t hate noisy rooms, nor was he all that averse to crowds, but being on his own every now and again was always a comfort after stressful days full of battle reports and rigorous training. 

Overall, his night had started off so terribly boring and unsatisfying, and though all that ha change was his location, it was looking up ever so slightly. Of course, there was things that could cause it to pitch upwards at the speed of light, as there always were. Xander wasn’t one to live with his head in the clouds, though, and the hope that the war would stop in its tracks so he could have a peaceful night with his husband was far too much to ask. The moments they got between battles and war councils were cherished and desired, no matter how few and far between. The ring on his left hand was enough to bind Xander to his marriage, no physical touch required. That isn’t to say, however, that he didn’t want the chance to kiss his husband good morning and goodnight; love like that could wait until after they’d won. 

As if sensing his reminiscing, distant footsteps pranced ever closer. Xander instinctively bristled when a hand wrapped around his bicep, opening his mouth to call for help while he still had a chance. Before he could manage to get anything out, though, another hand covered his mouth, albeit gentler than such a presumed ruffian. Keaton shushed him softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek with an apologetic murmur. Once there was no more reason to cover Xander’s mouth, he took his hand away, sliding it down to lace his fingers together against his husband’s shoulder. He didn’t, however, stop pressing little kisses up and down the side of Xander’s face and into his hairline. Xander leaned back slightly and let his eyes fall shut, sighing out the pent up stress from the skyscraper of battle reports on his desk. It was hard not to relax completely in that moment, but he managed to refrain.

No coherent words were exchanged when Xander relaxed completely into Keaton’s arms, nor did they share words when he turned his head to smile up at his husband. Unfortunately, his smile was for naught, as Keaton was very busy peppering kisses all over his face, deliberately avoiding Xander’s lips. As he took a short break from showering his husband in affection, Keaton shifted to sit properly, moving his arms down to curl around Xander’s waist and effectively pull him into his lap. From there, they settled into comfortable position, Keaton resting his chin on Xander’s shoulder and Xander resting his head against Keaton’s. 

“I missed you last night,” Xander spoke quietly, as to keep their conversation as private as possible, “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than you, I can tell,” Keaton punctuated his words with more kisses, this time pressed to the side of Xander’s neck. “You’re so tense, your highness.”

“Shouln’t _you_ be asleep, your grace?” Xander shot back with a snort.

“My grace?” Keaton’s laughter cut through the night, tail wagging like a rudder, “You’re the graceful one here!”

Xander covered his mouth to muffle elated giggles, head tipping back and shoulders shaking. His free hand rested over Keaton’s on his stomach, thumb rubbing circles on the hollow of his wrist. He was, contrary to the frost stuck to the grass and the puffs of visible breath, warmer than he’d been in days and more content too. The hand over his mouth was tugged away, replaced by a sweet kiss that deposited what felt like thick syrup upon Xander’s joints, holding him in place. It felt good to kiss his husband, and even better after such a long dry spell.

“Alright,” Xander hummed when he finally managed to pull away, albeit unhappily, “I think it’s time we both get some rest, and you’re welcome to join me in my tent if you’d like. In fact, I would like that very much.”

Lucky for Xander, Keaton took no convincing. He was just as, if not more, eager to crawl into bed and burrow into the fine Nohrian blankets that were carted along from the castle. For that, Xander felt luckier than any man in the country; he thought about it as he was shedding his clothes in favor of his nightclothes, reflecting on the fortune that’d gifted him a loving husband and two incredible children. It was nearly blinding, the way life had unfolded in his favor despite the bloody and vicious war waging around him. And as he fell asleep, words trapped in the column of his throat, he whispered a “thank you” to the gods that smiled upon him.


End file.
